Kent County to Participate in Roadside Drug Testing Pilot Program Starting Next Week

Michigan State Police are launching an oral fluid roadside drug testing pilot program in select counties November 8.

Kent, Berrien, Delta, St. Claire, and Washtenaw Counties will participate.

CBS Detroit reports the counties were chosen based on several criteria, including the number of impaired driving crashes, impaired drivers arrested, and trained Drug Recognition Experts (DRE) in the county.

According to a MSP release, fatal accidents involving drugs increased 32 percent from 2015 to 2016.

Director of the MSP, Col. Kriste Kibbey Etue said,

“Motorists under the influence of drugs pose a risk to themselves and others on the road. With drugged driving on the rise, law enforcement officers need an effective tool to assist in making these determinations during a traffic stop.”

Under the program, if a DRE suspects a driver is impaired by drugs, the DRE may require the person to submit to a preliminary saliva test, via mouth swab. If the driver refuses to submit, it's a civil infraction.